SMA opens factory to support industrial foundations for future energy infrastructure
Published by Abby Butler,
Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,
SMA Solar Technology has inaugurated its new Gigawatt Factory in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany.
The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for utility scale technologies, supporting photovoltaics (PV), storage, hybrid, hydrogen, and data centre applications, represents a significant milestone in SMA’s long-term commitment to supporting the global energy transition and strengthening Europe’s industrial capabilities. The opening ceremony brings together representatives from industry, politics, and security to discuss the future of secure energy systems and the role of industrial innovation in delivering reliable energy infrastructure.
As electrification accelerates across industries, mobility, digital infrastructure, and society, the demand for reliable energy infrastructure continues to grow. The challenge today is no longer limited to generating more renewable energy. It is increasingly about building and operating the infrastructure required to integrate renewable energy, stabilise grids, and ensure a secure and affordable energy supply. Against this backdrop, SMA has further developed the new Gigawatt Factory to meet the requirements of an increasingly electrified world. Based on current calculations, the facility holds space for an annual production capacity of more than 60 GW under full utilisation.
Dr Kaveh Rouhi, CFO of SMA Solar Technology AG, noted: “Reliable energy infrastructure has become a prerequisite for economic growth, industrial competitiveness, and digital transformation. With the Gigawatt Factory, we are investing in the industrial capabilities needed to support the energy systems of the future. It strengthens our ability to deliver critical energy infrastructure technologies for customers around the world and reinforces our commitment to technology, value creation, and manufacturing in Europe.”
Over the past two years, SMA has sharpened its focus on utility scale energy infrastructure, optimised its product and value creation mix, and evolved the production layout of the Gigawatt Factory. As a result, the facility is designed for significant scalability and production output.
Florian Bechtold, Executive Vice President Large Scale & Project Solutions at SMA, commented: “The Gigawatt Factory is more than a new manufacturing facility. It is SMA’s answer to the growing global demand for reliable energy infrastructure. Our customers are planning larger and more complex energy projects than ever before. The Gigawatt Factory gives us the scale, flexibility, and manufacturing capabilities needed to support that growth.”
With a site area of 46 000 m2, 20 500 m2 of floor space, and an investment volume of approximately €80 million, including around €50 million in lease payments and approximately €30 million in one-time investments for production-specific infrastructure and equipment, the Gigawatt Factory is one of SMA’s most important manufacturing investments and a key element of the company’s long-term growth strategy in the utility scale market. Combining resilient supply chains, highly digitalised production processes, scalable manufacturing structures and secure industrial technologies, and deep expertise in system integration, it produces the latest generation of central inverters, battery storage solutions, and energy management devices for utility scale applications.
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